Improvement in wool-presses



STATES UNrrsa I). B. KILLAM, 0F ALMA, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN WOOL-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 55,116, dated May 29, 1866. y

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, I). B. KILLAM, of Alma, in the county of Gratiot and State of Michigan, have. invented new and useful Improvements in Wool-Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

In the present invention the wool to be pressed is placed upon a table-top having two leaves extending in the direction of its length, so hung as to swing upward into a vertical position, between which leaves, whenso swung up, the wool is inclosed, and then pressed into the desired shape by and between two circular or curved shaped guards, one of which is stav tionary and the other susceptible of being moved toward and away from the same. When tying up the wool thus pressed by means of cords suitably arranged upon the ltable therefor before the wool was laid upon it to be pressed, as above explained, lower the leaves and draw back the movable guard, thus leaving the wool free to be removed, when the table is ready for use again.

In the accompanying plate of drawings my improvements in wool-presses are illustrated, Figure 1 being a plan or top view of the press, and Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line x m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Ain the drawings represents a table supported upon legs B B, the top of which has two swinging leaves, O C, hung upon hinges a a of the central and fixed portion, D, of the table, so as to swing upward. Each lcable-leaf C is, through knuckle-jointed levers F, hung at one end to the under side of the same and at the other to the shafts Gr of the respective drums II H, connected together by achain, I, secured at each end thereto, one of which shafts G has a winch-handle, J, at one end, by swinging which to the right or left, acting through the connecting-pulleys, chain, and knuckle-jointed levers above described, the table-leaves are either swung up or down, and when in a vertical position being there held by engaging the lever-pawl l with the toothed ratchet of one of the chain-pulleys or drums H.

At one end of the table-top, and of equal width to its fixed central portion, D, is an upright standard, L, having parallel vert-ical slots b2, through each of which passes a cord, c, where at such end they are secured to and in slotted buttons d cl of the table-frame A, these cords extending from such end of the table to and along the surface thereof, down through apertures into suitable boxes M at the other end, as shown in Fig. l.

N and N2 are two similar circular or curved shaped guards, one of which, N, is fixed in a vertical position upon the top of the central portion of the table, and the other, N2, attached to a transverse shaft, O, of the table, having a winch-handle, P, with its several arms Q playing through slots of the center of the table, and in such positions with regard to the several arms It of the fixed guard N as to play in the spaces between-or, in other words, interlock with-them whenswungin the proper direction therefor, a ratchet-wheel, f, on .shaft O and pawl g of table, when engaged with each other, preventing the swinging guard N2 of the table from swinging backward, the pawl g being so hung upon the table-frame that when the table-leaf of such side of the table is-swung down it will release the pawl from the ratchet.

In the use of my improved wool-press above described the wool to` be pressed is placed upon the table, when, swinging the winchhandle in the proper direction, the table-leaves are swung up into a vertical position, and there held by the pawl before referred to, when, swinging the movable guard toward the xed guard, the wool is caused to be tightly compressed between the two, when, securing the cords laid upon the table, in the manner explained, about the wool thus pressed, they are then cut from the remainder of the cord in their respective boxes under the table, the table-leaves swungdown, and the movable guard back from the fixed guard, thus leaving the wool free to be moved, when the table is again ready for use, as explained.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The arrangement of the shafts having wheels or pulleys or Jheir equivalents eonto operate in the manner and for the purpose neeted together by a chain or belt, knueklespeciiied.

jointed levers for raising and lowering the 3. The use of the catch-buttons for holding leaves of the table, in combination with :my I one end of the bindillg-eords for the twine, as suitable device for holding the leaves in an described. f upright position, substantially ns herein de- P. B. KILLAM.

scribed, and for the purpose speeied. Witnesses:

2. The combination of the xed and mova.- GEO. B. JENNTNGS, ble guards, when arranged together and so as H. S. HART. 

